NEW TECH FOODS

According to The Economic Times, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is in the process of establishing regulatory guidelines for the approval of cell-based foods, which include cell-based meat and seafood.

In India, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute initiated a project focused on cultivating fish, while the Department of Biotechnology and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology support research into cell-based meat.

As cell-based meat has no prior history of existence or consumption in the country, the FSSAI classifies it as either "non-specified food or ingredient" or "novel food". Consequently, companies must seek prior approval from the food authority before commencing the manufacturing, production or importation of such products.

Although cell-based meat is currently not sold in India, several companies, including MyoWorks and #NeatMeatt, are actively engaged in developing these products.

Singapore became the first country to grant approval for the production and commercialisation of cultivated meat in 2020. Later, the US followed suit, permitting two California-based companies, Good Meat and Upside Foods, last year to sell meat derived from animal cells to restaurants, and, eventually, directly to consumers in grocery stores.

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